Vision Trip!

 

The oasis during the 3 years of desert in Korean Minjok Leadership Academy. I’ve heard this phrase a few times from 16^th and 17^th wavers while describing the vision trip. All of 18^th wavers were looking forward to vision trip, and enjoyed it with friends. Although the start of my vision trip was delayed due to the disconcerting experience of my entrance into US being denied, I could thankfully enjoy the trip in Europe instead of US. Visiting Europe for the second time, I could feel difference in European environment. 

 

 

Jungfrau

Interlaken

Vatican

We visited several countries such as France, Switzerland and Italy. More specifically, we enjoyed the beautiful cities of Paris, Versailles, Interlaken and Rome. In Paris, I visited Musée d’Orsay which itself was already a piece of art. The Chateau de Versailles was decorated with gold and mirror, showing the ultimate splendidness with the huge garden. Interlaken was a picturesque village. Below the Jungfrau, the top of Europe, every house looked like one in the story. As the train went up the mountain, the color of land gradually changed from green to white. Looking down on the world, there were only the sky and the mountain. In Vatican, detailed the Sistine Chapel Ceiling portrayed the effort of Michelangelo. Marbles of beautiful colors, statues with elaborate description of muscles, beard and clothes which I couldn’t believe to be made in ancient times, astonishing architecture technique also surprised me. In Rome, no square contained a fountain without exquisite decoration.

 

After visiting various cities, I felt one thing in common. The cities didn’t build new buildings, but were still using old ones. In Paris, antique houses built in 19^th century or before stood along the street with elaborately decorated windows and balconies. They were not merely tourist sites, but actually being used. For example, Musée du Louvre and Musée d'Orsay are old buildings being reused. Each was originally a palace, and a train station before. These buildings went through several different purposes, their structure and interior being slightly altered. The hotel we slept at in Interlaken has existed since 1960. Its exterior hasn’t changed much since then, and was forming a perfect harmony with the stream next to it. In Rome, filled with great monuments such as  Colosseum and Pantheon, I could see many buildings from medieval or modern ages.

Old buildings in cities reminded me of what guide teacher said. He said, ‘People here would prefer inconvenience if they were to abandon old things just because they are feeling inconvenient using them.’ For instance, using European hotels, I found the elevator being so small that 5 people at most could use. He said that Europeans had to install elevators in narrow spaces between the staircases or at the corner of the building without destroying the pre-existing buildings. They could have built a new big hotel with updated facilities, but didn’t. They preferred traditional ones. That was what I was in envy of them.

 



Foro Romano

I was quite disappointed and sad that Korea is not like them. Of course, considering the several background, it is hard for Korea to sustain old buildings built many centuries ago. We had experienced 36 years of Japanese illegal occupation and many wars we had to go through in Korean peninsula between the continent and islands, so it may be hard to expect the monumental buildings to be reused. However, I couldn’t stop envying Paris, Interlaken, and Rome filled with monumental buildings being familiar and closer to people.




Making a choice between convenience and tradition is the matter of point of view and what I wrote above is merely a personal feeling during the vision trip. However, I think their attitudes of respecting tradition and making it absorbed in daily lives truly deserve admiration. I just hope in someday, we can also get closer and familiar to our monuments.